


A Helping Hand

by BleachStuck415



Series: Exorcist Cram Crew [3]
Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Rin and yukio being those Good Bros canon who?, Vague time setting is vague
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-01 17:41:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16288973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BleachStuck415/pseuds/BleachStuck415
Summary: Rin and Yukio have always been brothers - newfound demon heritage and a new school doesn't change that. They find ways to look after each other.





	A Helping Hand

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is... finally... ages ago i said i would do some dumb rin & yukio brotherly bullshit and here it is! Yay.

For as long as Rin can remember, he has protected his little brother. It comes with the job description. He's always stood in front of Yukio and taken hits meant for him and fought back to defend him against bullies.

It makes sense that this would continue into True Cross Academy.

Sharing a room means they're still in contact with each other everyday - maybe even more so than they were at the monastry. This means it's easy for Rin to see when Yukio's been spending too long working or when he's so focused it cuts into his sleep or when he forgets to eat.

It happens time and time again, and without dad there, it's hard for Yukio to stop himself falling back into this pattern. Rin knows this intimately - has seen it happen again and again whenever dad was away on business trips. He knows how to temporarily stop it, but he doesn't have a permanent solution, even after all this time.

It's a constant cycle Rin doesn't know how to break. 

After a long and gruelling day at school, Rin stumbles into his bedroom with a sigh. He can't wait to collapse on his bed and read some old manga before going to sleep.

It's what he sees as soon as he enters that gives him pause. School's been out for three hours now - time which he spent with his friends - and it looks like Yukio hasn't moved an inch since he left.

Yukio is so wrapped up in his work - marking papers, preparing lesson plans, doing paperwork - that he's gotten lost in himself again. Rin doubts he's even stopped for food.

Rin rectifies this immediately by getting a simple sandwich from the kitchen. He places the plate on Yukio's desk, and when that doesn't draw him from his daze Rin reaches over and grabs at his brother's hand. "Come on, Yukio," he says softly. "It's time to stop." Rin pulls the pen from Yukio's cramping fingers.

Half formed protests spilling from his lips, Yukio tries to pull his pen back. Rin simply pushes the sandwich in his direction, and Yukio grabs that instead. Rin makes sure Yukio eats the whole thing before he gets up.

He moves to Yukio's bed and pulls down the covers, before moving back to the desk and pulling Yukio's glasses from his face. Then he nudges and prods until his brother gets into bed. "It's time for sleep now."

Yukio protests only once more before Rin turns off the lights, and then he slips into sleep instantly. Rin joins him soon, finally collapsing into his own bed.

But their relationship works the other way, too.

Rin gets so wrapped up in his own little world and his own life and his own thoughts that he forgets to take breaks. It's when his hands are calloused and his own fire seems blistering when a hand land on his shoulder. Someone is pulling the sword from his hands and sheathing it. "Come on, Rin, it's time to rest." Yukio's face swims into focus and Rin realises how tired he is.

This happens so often that Rin should be used to it by now, but it always leaves him with a feeling of disappointment. He's been trying to do better - to stay on top of everything and to manage his time better - and now his hands are stiffened with cramps and he can feel phantom burn wounds.

Yukio doesn't let Rin feel sorry for himself for too long. He forces Rin to pull his jacket back on, and then drags him from the training room. He drags him all the way back to their dorm building, and pushes him into the room they'd set up for the sleepover a while ago. Already in the room is the rest of his class, all arguing over what movie to play. Yukio forces Rin to sit down, and he wraps Rin in blankets until Rin can't move and it makes Rin really happy.

He drifts off to sleep there, content with his friends and brother around him.

One sunday morning, Rin stands in the kitchen helping Ukobach prepare breakfast when Yukio stumbles down the stairs. It's unusual for him to be up this early, and Rin spins to give him a grin before going back to his task. Yukio has bags under his eyes that Rin could fit all his emotional baggage in, but they're smaller than they were. He seems well rested as he darts around Rin to get himself a glass of orange juice.

It's such a small thing - one minor change to their usual routine - but Rin sees it as progress, and a step in the right direction.

 

* * *

 

Yukio has always been told he acts more like the older sibling than Rin does because of his personality and temperment and maturity. Throughout his childhood, Yukio can remember the shape of Rin's back as he stepped in front of him and fought back against the people that collectively made parts of their school years hell (eventually, as soon as it was legal to, Rin dropped out, leaving Yukio to fend for himself. Using the training dad was slowly giving him, he was able to keep himself safe. Rin still patched up any bruises he came home with, and Yukio felt sadness at the guilt Rin radiated because of it).

Sharing a dorm with Rin means he's able to better keep an eye on him. When his training gets too much or when he's been studying for too long or when he's _not_ studying, Yukio is there to help him along.

When Rin spends so long training that his hands start to hurt and his own fire seems blinding, Yukio steers him away. When Rin beats himself up for another bad grade, Yukio writes him a study plan and talks him through his homework in such a way that he's able to understand it.

Yukio's not the best at cooking - and _everyone_ knows that - so whenever Rin gets too bad, so sad and wrapped up in his own grief and self hatred that Yukio doesn't really know what to do, he enlists Ukobach to help make Rin's favourite meals.

As he eats, Rin's eyes slowly fill with life, and Yukio is able to breathe a sigh of relief at the fact that Rin will be okay.

But Yukio doesn't delude himself into thinking this is a one way relationship. Rin helps him just as much as he helps Rin.

It's so _so_  easy for Yukio to loose track of time and work himself deep into the early hours of the morning, or to forget to eat or hydrate or take breaks. Yukio's eyes are stinging and the light at his desk becomes blinding. Looking down at the paper on his desk as it glows in the artificial lights makes something inside him feel sick after looking at it for so long, but he can't stop now. He just has to finish this lesson plan. And then go over those reports. And mark the Exwire's papers. And- A hand covers his, pulling the pen from his grasp. "Alright bro, it's time for bed."

Rin makes sure Yukio eats - something he forgets to do by himself - and then pushes him towards his bed. His fingers aching and his eyes burning, Yukio falls into bed easily, and sleep claims him almost instantly.

It's a routine Yukio and Rin had fallen into quickly - Yukio gets too caught up in work, and Rin will find him like that, exhausted but unwilling to _stop_. It's unhealthy for Yukio to keep doing it, but he doesn't have the time to do everything he needs for teaching on top of his own lessons _and_  his work as an exorcist while also making space for a decent night's sleep. (Dad is the one who used to help Yukio keep track of everything, but now dad is gone and Yukio is beginning to spiral and he  _doesn't know what to_ _do_ -).

Rin's help in maintaining his health is invaluable to Yukio - he should tell him that, sometime.

One otherwise insignificant sunday morning, Yukio wakes up feeling more well rested than usual. When he checks the clock, he's shocked to see how early it is. Not bothering to change, he stumbles down the stairs into the kitchen. The grin Rin gives him in response is almost blinding.

He moves around Rin to get himself something to drink and he finds himself thinking. When was the last time Yukio actually made food for himself, or helped Rin make something? When was the last time the two of them hung out as brothers? Yukio can't remember, and that hurts something inside him.

As the two of them fall into easy conversation, Yukio resolves to do better.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you everyone for reading! I hope you enjoyed it
> 
> Next i want to do something with Shiemi or Konekomaru, but im just struggling to find ideas for them dhdjdksb


End file.
